“Imagine this: a man named Aaron James faced a life-changing accident that left him severely injured, losing his left eye and parts of his face. But here’s the incredible part – a team of over 140 surgeons at NYU Langone Health did something groundbreaking. They gave him a new eye and face from a single donor, a first-of-its-kind surgery!
Aaron’s wife, Meagan, was overjoyed seeing her husband’s transformed face, even though his new eye’s color was different. The surgery took 21 hours, and Aaron, a military veteran, is hopeful it could advance transplant medicine.
The accident happened when Aaron, a power lineman, suffered a severe electric shock. His journey to recovery involved numerous surgeries, including the amputation of his left arm. The idea of a face transplant arose, and Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez in New York took on the challenge.
In May, the historic surgery took place, involving two rooms and a risky eye transplant. They used special stem cells for the optic nerve, aiming for nerve regeneration. Aaron is doing well, excited about Thanksgiving and hoping to regain vision someday.
Dr. Rodriguez acknowledges the uncertainty but remains optimistic. This surgery is a leap forward in transplant medicine, and if successful, it could be a game-changer for those who’ve lost an eye. For the full, detailed story, check out CNN’s original source page. #MedicalMiracle #TransplantBreakthrough”
Meagan James saw something unbelievable at NYU Langone Health in New York. Her husband, Aaron James, had a serious accident at work, losing his left eye and part of his face. But a special surgical team did something amazing—they gave Aaron a whole new eye and part of a new face.
When Meagan looked at her husband’s new eye for the first time, it was swollen from the surgery, and the color was different—it was brown, but Aaron’s real eyes are blue like the ocean. She also noticed his new nose, lips, and cheek, where some beard was starting to grow. Looking at his face, she could see how thankful he was.
This made Meagan very happy for her husband of 20 years. It was a moment filled with emotions because she never thought she would see him like this after the accident.
Meagan described the experience as a mix of crazy, great, weird, and happy feelings. She was overjoyed that everything went well. In late May, a huge team of over 140 surgeons at NYU Langone Health worked for about 21 hours to give Aaron a new left eye and parts of his face. They took these from a single donor, and it was the first time this kind of surgery had ever been done.
Aaron’s new eye is doing really well, even though he can’t see with it yet. He’s hopeful that his unique surgery might help improve transplant medicine in the future.
The accident that led to all of this was life-changing. Aaron, a 46-year-old military veteran in Arkansas, got a severe electric shock while working as a power lineman in Mississippi. The shock caused serious injuries to his face, including his left eye, nose, lips, cheek, and chin, as well as his left arm.
Meagan, his wife, got a call about the accident while driving home. She rushed to be with him, and during the long drive, she learned about the extent of his injuries. It was a tough time, with Aaron undergoing various surgeries, including the amputation of his left arm.
Allie, their daughter, saw her dad’s injuries in the hospital, and it was shocking. Aaron himself doesn’t remember the accident; he just woke up six weeks later in a hospital in Dallas.
The first time Aaron saw his changed face, he asked for a photo. Seeing himself, he knew it was a tough situation, but he felt okay, ready for the challenging journey ahead.
The idea of a face transplant came up, and Aaron was all in. Now, with the successful surgery done, he’s not just looking at it as a personal recovery but also as a way to advance medical possibilities for others in the future.
In New York, Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, who had done face transplants before, learned about Aaron’s case through Texas specialists. After understanding the severity of Aaron’s injuries, Dr. Rodriguez was amazed that Aaron survived such a tough situation.
Dr. Rodriguez and his team in New York got involved in Aaron’s case even after his Texas doctors had to remove his left eye. They asked them to preserve as much of the optic nerve as possible, hoping for a potential eye transplant in the future.
Dr. Rodriguez talked to Aaron about the possibility of not just a face transplant but a whole-eye transplant. He explained that the new eye might not bring back vision immediately, but having a normal-looking eye could still be beneficial for learning and future patients.
Aaron was listed as a potential recipient in February 2023, and the chance for the groundbreaking whole-eye and face transplant came just a few months later in May. Dr. Rodriguez and his team knew it was a risky and uncharted operation, as no one had successfully done a human eye transplant in a living person before.
The surgery had two parts. In one room, Aaron’s old face parts were removed for the transplant. In another room, Dr. Rodriguez worked on preparing the donor face and eyeball. This took about 12 hours.
After that, the challenge was to quickly connect the donor face and eye to Aaron’s. They had to cut the blood vessels and move fast because the face and eye weren’t getting blood during this time.
For the eye transplant, they used special adult stem cells from the donor’s bone marrow. These stem cells were injected into the optic nerve, which might help nerves grow back.
One crucial step was reconnecting Aaron’s optic nerve to the new eye. According to Dr. José-Alain Sahel, an eye expert, it was smart not to cut the optic nerve too far from the eye during the transplant. He believes the next big task is figuring out how to regrow the optic nerve, guide its fibers to the right places, and make sure the corneal nerves are preserved. This surgery shows potential, and there’s hope for more research and investment in understanding how to regrow these important nerves.
After the surgery, when Aaron saw his new face in the mirror, he was really happy, according to Dr. Rodriguez. Aaron is doing well, but he needs to keep taking medicines to make sure his body doesn’t reject the transplant. The eye seems healthy with good blood flow to the retina, which is important for vision.
Looking ahead, Aaron, his wife Meagan, and their daughter Allie are getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Aaron is excited about being able to smell and taste again, and he’s looking forward to the Thanksgiving meal. He’s still hopeful that, one day, he might be able to see through his new eye.
Dr. Rodriguez acknowledges that it’s uncertain if Aaron will regain vision, but he’s optimistic. This type of transplant has never been done before, and sometimes transplants can surprise us with how well they work. So, there’s hope for the future.
The surgery is a big step forward for transplant medicine, according to Dr. Oren Tepper, a specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery. He mentioned that this complex surgery is a significant advancement in face transplantation. If transplanting an eye successfully brings back nerve function or vision, it could be a huge breakthrough in medicine for people who lost an eye due to accidents or cancer.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/09/health/first-whole-eye-partial-face-transplant/index.html
SOURCE : CNN